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Trump says he 'listens better to African Americans' than Martin Luther King III
Article published by The Independent yesterday:
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/trump-martin-luther-king-iii-recording-mlk-audio-civil-rights-a9681201.html
Trump says he 'listens better to African Americans' than Martin Luther King III
Exclusive: Recording obtained by The Independent reveals how Trump alienated civil rights leaders during 'the most disastrous outreach meeting in the history of presidential transitions’
Andrew Feinberg
Washington DC
Just days before his inauguration, Donald Trump claimed that he was more in tune with the African-American community than a group of prominent civil rights activists, including the son of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
The meeting between Trump and the activists, including Martin Luther King III, William Wachtel, and Riverside Church pastor Dr Rev James Forbes, was arranged by Presidential Transition Team aides as a way to settle tensions between the incoming president and the African-American community.
But the event quickly became, in the words of one Trump aide, “the most disastrous outreach meeting in the history of presidential transition”. According to a recording and transcript of the meeting — both of which have now been passed to The Independent — Trump spent far more time airing his own grievances and making outrageous claims than listening to the activists’ concerns.
After boasting of having been recognised by Time as the magazine’s “Person of the Year”, Trump told the group of civil rights activists: “I listen better to the African-American people than anybody else. Anybody else in this room.”
-snip-
Exclusive: Recording obtained by The Independent reveals how Trump alienated civil rights leaders during 'the most disastrous outreach meeting in the history of presidential transitions’
Andrew Feinberg
Washington DC
Just days before his inauguration, Donald Trump claimed that he was more in tune with the African-American community than a group of prominent civil rights activists, including the son of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
The meeting between Trump and the activists, including Martin Luther King III, William Wachtel, and Riverside Church pastor Dr Rev James Forbes, was arranged by Presidential Transition Team aides as a way to settle tensions between the incoming president and the African-American community.
But the event quickly became, in the words of one Trump aide, “the most disastrous outreach meeting in the history of presidential transition”. According to a recording and transcript of the meeting — both of which have now been passed to The Independent — Trump spent far more time airing his own grievances and making outrageous claims than listening to the activists’ concerns.
After boasting of having been recognised by Time as the magazine’s “Person of the Year”, Trump told the group of civil rights activists: “I listen better to the African-American people than anybody else. Anybody else in this room.”
-snip-
An unnamed transition team member said he was embarrassed, and that Trump often seemed unaware of what the meeting was about and who was there.
Trump also used the meeting to attack John Lewis for having announced he wouldn't attend the inauguration,
And Trump bragged about having received a larger share of the black vote than Romney or McCain. He was pleased that black voter turnout had been lower for HRC than for Obama.
Politico article confirming the audio:
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/21/trump-black-voters-turnout-2016-398520
2 replies
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